Time circuit-closer.



(No Model.)

Patented Nov. i2, |90I. W. RAUSCH.

TIME CIRCUIT CLOSER.

(Application med Nov. 1, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Win11! THE nofws vains co., mom-urne. WASHINGTON. u c.

W. RAUSCH.

Patented Nov. I2, 190|.

TIME CIRCUIT CLOSER.

(Application filed Nov. 1, 1900.)

A(Nu Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILHELM RAUSCH, 'OF DUSSELDORF, GERMANY.

TIME CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,636, dated November12, 1901.

Application filed November 1,1900. Serial No. 35.140. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM RAUscH, a subject of the King of Prussia,Emperor of Germany, residing at Dusseldorf, in the Province of RhenishPrussia and Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Time Circuit-Olosers, of which the following is aspecification.

For automatic making and breaking during the daytime of electric signalapparatus or light or power plants at certain intervals, a clockwork ortimepiece is employed which actuates a sliding contact and thussuccessively closes or opens the electric conduits. An objection tothese arrangements is that they require considerable current, andconsequently necessitate a large number of galvanic elements.

According to this invention a contact-lng is to be employed which ismounted on the axle of the hour-wheel of a clock in the customarymanner, but which is shifted on the axle against the action of a springand made to act as spring contact against a number of contacts arrangedconcentrically to the axis. The shifting of the contact-lug is effectedby a cam contact-face thereon, which alternately runs onto an elevationor j um ps to a contactpeg for closing the circuit.

In the drawings, Figure l shows a section of the clockwork, the circuitbeing broken. Fig. 2 is a view like Fig. 1, the circuit being closed.Fig. 3 is a front view of the clockwork. Fig. 4 shows an arrangement ofcontacts for electric signaling. Figs. 5 and 6 respectively show theclosed and open position of the contactmaker on an enlarged scale. Fig.7 is a rear view ot' the hour-wheel. Fig. 8 is an elevation, and Fig. 9a sectional View of a specific form of the device.

The axle a of the clock Work or train rotates the minute-shaft l) bymeans of the wheels c d. The hour-wheel f is fixed on a sleeve t, whichis slidable or shiftable on aXle l), and the Wheel f is also actuatedfrom axle @by means of pinion e. On its rear face it has a contact-lugn, having an inclined contacting face. (See Figs. 5, 6, and 7.) Oppositethe same and concentrically about axle l) are the contacts t', mountedon a disk or plate g of insulating material. Each of the contacts t' isconnected to an independent return-wire o, as most clearly shown inFigs. 4, 5, and 6, and all the return-wires o are connected to ametallic strip m2, which in turn is connected to a single return-wirem'. On the rotation of the hour-wheelj'the contactlug n can besuccessively brought into touch with the contacts t'. It' the currentpasses through hour-wheel f, a closure is made each time that lug ntouches a contact t', and on leaving the contact the circuit is broken.To

make and break the circuit, the contacts are4 arranged in such mannerthat during the break of the circuit-that is to say, as soon as the lugn slips from oft the contact t-the lug n rests or runs on aprojectionas, for example, a pin h, fixed in the insulated plate g, andis moved ont of reach of contacts t' by the shifting of wheel fon itsaxle. lf the conductor-wire m is joined to spring 7c, the currentthrough such spring and hour-wheel is closed by lug n and passes onthrough contact i, with which said lug n comes into touch. By means ofthis contact-maker the circuit is only closed in the direction in whichfor the time being it is to act. The duration of action depends on theparticular purposes in view. lf, for example, an electriclight or powerplant is to be out out at determined periods,a merely momentary touch ofthe contacts su'liices. If, as indicated in the drawings, a largernumber of electric signal apparatuses are to be actuated, thearrangement can be such that the signal sounds either for severalseconds or for several minutes, according tothe shape given thecontact-face of lug fn. Say, `for example, the hour-wheel f hasforty-eight teeth and back of the saine are forty-eight contacts t',secured concentrically to shaft h on insulating-disk g. Either within orWithout the circle of contacts i is a circle of pins h, projectingbeyond the plane of the contacts and transposed with respect to thesame. The lug fn of wheel f consists 'of a projection having an inclinedcontact-face. The same wipes over the pins h, whereby the wheel f isshifted or pressed forward against the action ot spring 7c, Fig. 3. Whencontact n has passed a pin 71 said contact, with wheel IOO f, under theaction of spring 7c, snaps back and touches the next following contactt', Figs. 2 and 6. In the construction mentioned a circuit-closure ismade each quarter-hour through one of the `contacts 't' ot conductors o,so that after each quarter-hour a signal can be sent in a desireddirection.

The foregoing circuit-breaker can be applied to any clock Withoutrequiring material alteration. It is merely necessary to apply disk gwith contacts t' and pins h back of wheelfand to make such wheelshiftable on its aXle against the action ot a spring 7c.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings I have shown the spring 7c arranged at a rightangle to the position it is shown in Fig. 3, and this is merely done forthe sake of clearness, or in order that the spring may appear in both ofsaid figures.

A special form of constructing this break mechanism is also shown inFig. 8 in elevation and in Fig. 9 in section. In this form ofconstruction the contacts z' and pins are arranged on a plate p in frontof hour-wheel f. The latter is mounted on a hollow axle or sleeve t,carrying the hour-hand and shiftable on the axle of the minute-hand. Onthe hollow axle with the hour-wheel the arm n What I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A clock-actuated electric contact mechanism or con tact-breakercomprising an houraxle, a contact thereon, contact and elevating pinsconcentric to the axle, and a spring for the contact, said contact beingshiftable against the action of the spring so as to alternately ride onthe contact and elevating pins for making and breaking the circuit,substantially as described.

2. Aclock-actuated electric contact-breaker comprising an hour-axle, acontact shiftable on the hour-axle, contact and elevating pins, and aspring for thecontact, the latter having an inclined contact-face so asto be shifted back and forth as it is carried past the pins,substantially as described.

3. A clock-actuated shiftable wheel having a contact, an insulatingplate or disk concentric to the wheel and having contact and cle- Vatingpins in the path of the contact, and a spring for pressing the contacttoward the pins, said contact having an inclined face for causing saidcontact to press back against the spring as the arm rides or wipes overa pin, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILHELM RAUSOII.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM EssnNWEIN, PETER LIEBER.

